California: State Legislature Adjourns as More Gun Control Heads to the Governor’s Desk

On August 31, the California legislature adjourned after passing three anti-gun bills in the final days of the 2023-2024 session. These bills will now head to Governor Newsom for his signature. Please click the Take Action button below to contact Governor Newsom and urge him to veto these bills!

Senate Bill 53 prohibits firearm possession in the home unless the firearms are stored in a firearm safety device that is approved by the Department of Justice. SB 53 ignores the U.S. Supreme Court decision in D.C v. Heller which argued that storage requirements that prevent gun owners from easily accessing their firearms are unconstitutional.

Assembly Bill 1252 codifies the Office of Gun Violence Prevention created by Attorney General Bonta in 2022. While proponents claim the purpose is to conduct “research”, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention will only serve to advocate for gun control policies using tax-payer dollars.

Assembly Bill 2917 expands upon California’s existing Gun Violence Protective Order to allow the court to also consider “threats” directed towards a group or location when deciding whether to issue the order. If issued, Gun Violence Protective Orders result in a five year firearm prohibition, subject to indefinite renewals. These so-called “red flag” orders deprive citizens of their fundamental rights and property without due process safeguards and a clear evidentiary basis. 

While the legislature continued their crusade to erode Second Amendment rights by passing the above bills, several other anti-gun bills failed to advance this session. California’s law abiding gun owners can breathe a sigh of relief that the following bills are now defeated for the year:

Assembly Bill 3067, as introduced, would have mandated homeowner and rental insurance companies to ask applicants how many firearms are in their home, and where and how they are stored. AB 3067 would have also allowed homeowner insurance companies to report this information to the Department of Insurance and California Legislature.

Senate Bill 1038 would have required that lost and stolen firearms be reported to local law enforcement within 48 hours from the time the owner or possessor knew or should have known the firearms have been lost or stolen. SB 1038 significantly shortens the existing reporting timeframe of five days and revictimizes the victim of a crime should they not meet this reporting burden in the aftermath of a burglary or theft.

Senate Bill 1160 would have required individuals to annually reregister their firearms with the California Department of Justice and pay undetermined fees or face penalties of up to $1000. This bill was amended in committee and now deals with increased penalties for open carry violations if the individual in possession of the handgun is not listed with the Department of Justice as the owner. SB 1160 was amended by the author to instead deal with open carry penalties.

Senate Bill 1253 would have prohibited an individual in California from possessing a firearm without a valid Firearm Safety Card. Existing law requires individuals in California to obtain a Firearm Safety Card to purchase or receive a firearm, however SB 1253 amends this law to prohibit otherwise law-abiding individuals from possessing a firearm unless they obtain and continue to possess a Firearm Safety Card, with a renewal required every five years.  In order to renew the Firearm Safety Card, individuals would be required to pass a written test and pay a corresponding fee. 

Thank you to NRA members and Second Amendment supporters for your strong advocacy throughout the session. Your NRA-ILA will be back at the Capitol next session and will continue to fight in the courts against unconstitutional restrictions on behalf of our members and gun owners across the Golden State.